Hazrat Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA)

Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa bint Al Siddiq is the second most beloved wife of the Prophet Muhmmad peace be upon him after his first wife Khadija may Allah be pleased with her. As her nickname implies, she was the daughter of Abu Bakr Al Siddiq the closest friend of the Prophet and his first successor or caliph. She is given the title "Siddiqa" because of an incident after which God Almighty testified to her honesty, trustworthiness and purity. Books of Seerah tell us about it the following:

When the Prophet returned victorious from the battle of Bani Al Mustaliq, Aisha was accompanying him. On its way back to Madinah, not very far away from it the army stopped part of the night; then it was allowed to continue the journey which the army did until it entered Madinah. The camel of Aisha was led to her house with her small cabin on its back. To the astonishment of all onlookers Aisha was not there. So the news spread like fire; and the Prophet and his companions started to search everywhere; after a short while, however, Aisha was seen riding another camel led by a companion called Safwan Ibn Muattil Al Salami.

Naturally the pure wife of the Prophet was asked about the reason of her delay. She said: I went to answer the call of nature some time before departure. I had on a valuable necklace that fell from my neck without being aware of it. When I returned to my camel I discovered that it was missing. So I returned to the same place where I went before. At that time people were starting to leave. When I found my lost necklace and went back I found the caravan was no more there. They took my camel thinking that I was inside the cabin on its back.

As I returned to the camp, Hazral Aisha continues, no one was in sight so I wrapped up myself and lied down in the same place feeling that this is the best I can do. For sure, I thought, they will discover my absence and come back to me. As I was in that condition Safwan Ibn Muattil passed by me. Seeing me he recognized me and said sadly: How could it be that the Prophet's wife is here! What made you lag behind the caravan? I kept silent so he brought the camel near me, thus I rode on its back and he led the camel to Madinah.

The Prophet heard this account which Aisha thought to be simple truth; but people spread an evil rumour, especially the hypocrites who started to concoct stories against Aisha the pure. Thus what is called Hadith Al Ifk spread everywhere (a sinister talk against this dear wife of the Prophet). The Prophet kept silent and when Aisha was told about what was going on against her she got angry and tried to explain things to the Prophet who said nothing. So Aisha joined her parents who tried to verify the rumours from her.

It was indeed an extremely hard time not only for Aisha and her father Abu Bakr Al Siddiq but for the Prophet as well who approached Aisha and said: If you committed anything, then confess it and repent to God who will forgive you. These statements only increased the sufferings of Aisha so much so that she fell seriously ill. It was only the Divine revelation that accquited her and declared her innocence and purity. This took place after a whole month of adversity and hardship. That is why Aisha deserved the title of Siddiqa, the truthful, because God Almighty testified to her honesty.

Aisha was only eight years old before the emigration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah. The Prophet had proposed to her two years earlier because she was the daughter of his closest friend and companion. So the Prophet got married to her when she was only nine years old. But Aisha was already a grown-up woman despite her tender years. She was not just an ordinary wife but she could fill the gap caused by the death of Khadija, the first mother of the Faithful.

Aisha was a beautiful wife, with a light body. She had a reddish face so the Prophet used to praise her saying: Take one half of your religion from this reddish young lady. This was because Aisha was the most knowledgeable Muslim woman of her time. She used to teach many things related to women to the senior companions of the Prophet. She also transmitted quite a large number of the Prophet's traditions.

If Hazrat Khadija played a great role in the formative part of the Prophet's life, Aisha took care of him the rest of his life, especially in his old age despite the presence of other wives along with her. This does not mean that the Prophet did not treat them with equal justice, but rather that Aisha Siddiqa was his most beloved wife during this period. As a result of this she was an extremely jealous wife in the sense that she wanted him all for herself. It is narrated that one day the Prophet had some honey in the house of Mary, the Copt. Aisha got jealous and plotted with Hafsa, another wife of the Prophet to tell him as soon as he approaches any one of the two, that he smelt of Maghafeer, a bad smelling drink in Arabia.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, did approach these two wives each of whom told him the same thing, so he swore not to have honey any more. But God Almighty revealed the following lesson which was directed to the two plotting wives as well as to the Prophet himself. For how could he make something prohibtted which has been made permissible by God. A separate chapter in the Holy Quran deals with this important theme. It starts as follows:

O Prophet! Why hold you to be forbidden that which God has made lawful for you? You seek to please your wives; but God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. God had ordained for you (O Muslims) the dissolution of your oaths (in some cases); and God is your Protector, and He is full of Knowledge, and Wisdom. When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his wives, and she then divulged it to another, and God made it known to him, he confirmed part of it and dropped a part. Then when he told her thereof she said: Who told you this? He said: He told me who Knows and is well-acquainted with all things.

Then the Quran addresses Aisha and Hafsa in the following words: If you two turn in repentance to Allah, your hearts are indeed so inclined; but if you back each other against him, truly God is his Protector, and Gabriel, every righteous one among the believers, and furthermore, the angels will back him. ( 66-1-4 ) It was indeed a decisive lesson which was, in fact, nothing but a prelude to another more important one. One day the wives of the Prophet including Aisha, held a meeting and decided to ask the Prophet to entertain them in the pleasures of this world, no more could they bear the life of asceticism the Prophet used to lead in favoure of seeking the After-life and preferring others to himself. For indeed the Prophet led a poor life despite his being the head of the first Islamic state.

This was a greater plot against the Prophet. All his wives agreed to demand a more entertaining and a pleasurable life from the Prophet. He, however, could not at all change his course being the best example for others to follow. When the Prophet came to know this, he boycotted all his wives including Aisha. The boycott continued for one whole month until the following verses were revealed: O Prophet! Tell your wives: " If it be that you desire the life of this world and its glitter, then come! I will provide for you enjoyment and set you free in a handsome manner. But if you seek God and His Apostle and the Home of the Here-after, verily God has prepared for the well-doers among you a great reward ". ( 33-28-29 ) So the Prophet asked Aisha to consult her parents to make up her mind either to stay with him or leave him in a handsome way. This he did with the rest of his wives as well most of whom preferred to keep matrimony with the Prophet. When he asked Aisha to get her parent's opinion she said: Should I consult them concerning you? Never. I do choose God and His Apostle.

We cannot cover the extensive biography of Aisha Siddiqa in these few pages; but suffice it to say that she was the most devoted wife of the Prophet, the most learned and brilliant one and the most pious. Once she was fasting. During the same day she had a sheep. Her servant slaughtered it for her, but she asked her servant to distribute the greater part of it. At sunset Aisha asked the servant: What have you left behind of that sheep? The servant replied: Nothing is left but its arm. All the rest has gone but Aisha's comment here was this: " All is kept but its arm ". She meant to say that all that has been given to the poor and needy will be rewarded by God, while the remaining arm will go. See how pious this young wife of the Prophet was.